The search giant is entering the market of location-based apps and services with the launch of Google Maps Coordinate, which the company calls "a workforce management tool that improves the efficiency of your mobile teams.”

The service, announced Thursday, combines Google's mapping and geolocation services and APIs with an enhanced dispatch service to help businesses dispatch and track mobile employees. A Google spokesperson said the company hopes togive businesses with on-the-go employees--think delivery services, perhaps, or a repair team--the tools to assign jobs and deploy staff more effectively.

Coordinate will be accessible on both the Web and Android devices. The Web service is intended for dispatchers and administrators, offering an up-to-date view of workers' locations and status updates, while the mobile app allows employees in the field to accept new jobs and update their supervisors with progress.

The service is available at an introductory price of $15 per user per month according to the company’s website.

To allay privacy concerns, the Google spokesperson said, Google has incorporated an "invisible" setting for mobile users of the app and an explicit consent feature when a user downloads and uses the app. The company is also currently working on an automatic shut-off feature at the end of users’ shifts, the spokesperson said.